Scale your campaigns with 60% off on WhatsApp solutions. Demo WhatsAppDemo WhatsApp

Startups

IVR – helping startups leave a brand-like impression

ivr for startups
MyOperator / Blog / IVR – helping startups leave a brand-like impression

Biggies of the business world are often addressed as first-to-mind brands, customers’ favorites, and always trusted; essentially those who’ve turned the market upside-down.

However, can we credit startups with this stature already? (entrepreneurs, my eyes on you)

Well, not yet. ‘Because startups don’t have it in them’ — this is what consumers actually convey when they relate a brand and a startup in a single statement.

But, what’s the reason brands enjoy a have-it-all attitude, while startups try to be seen in crowd.

The reason for brands: greater bandwidth to deploy tools/resources where cost is no worry.

The reason for startups: variety of tools/resources to deploy but cost is the worry.

There’s a suite of automation tools and resources out there which are seldom acknowledged, but they considerably fuel the growth of a business.

Here, we are talking about IVR aka Interactive Voice Response — one of the requisite tools to keep a business’ first-till-the-last customer interactions on track.

With never-ending tracking and recording capability, IVR helps a business stay up for it callers — prospects/customers who are likely to call at any time of the day — while the teams are sleeping, travelling, or enjoying a vacation.

But why IVR?

First things first. If you aspire your startup to get recognized and be taken seriously every time callers call, you ought to have an IVR. Here’s why one shouldn’t have second thoughts for having an IVR — the advantages:

  • Start with a warm welcome: A welcome greeting, designed as per the KISS principle (keep it short and simple), contributes in brand recall for callers. You may agree, the first interaction is a major influencer in final decision-making, for both short and long-term. Thus, it’s imperative you greet right greetings to callers the right way.
  • Address callers’ real needs: A telephonic system which lets callers input their real need-of-the-hour helps them feel a sense of relief. Here, figuring out the callers’ needs before they even start narrating proves a turnaround for businesses. This psychology caters to satisfying callers that they have called the right place and they will be heard.

     

  • Be the best SPOC: Accurate routing to the right person can save you and your team from ad hoc role-playing and prove the best SPOC (single point of contact). How? Basis the inputs made by callers, an IVR ensures that call for sales is not hopping within other departments. Henceforth, Samuel, the tech geek, is not striving to crack deals over the sales calls he sometimes receives.

     

  • Keep efforts on track: Our cloud call center solution provides 24*7 tracking and recording of all incoming and outgoing calls ensures perfection in all call-based communication activities. Whether it’s the first call or closing call, IVR ensures timeliness, contextual talks, confident follow-ups, and a balanced pipeline.

     

  • Save calls, time and business: An IVR accompanied by a call managerial tool brings startup communication to the fingertips. It streamlines entire call activities, reports you about missed calls, and analyzes on-call performance no matter whether you’re a small team or growing.

So, is that all?

Absolutely not. Startups belong to the active breed. They seek more out of less. They are the growth hacker type who talk ideas, data, and work towards making best use of them. Here’re the byproducts that startups leverage with an IVR — the add-ons:

  • Gather callers’ data: Collecting callers’ information was never this easy. A repository of your callers’ contact info available at your disposal helps you manage contacts easily.

     

  • Contact management simplified: Cancel out the nuisance of getting lost between numbers. The simplified contact management lets you maintain and find data as you wish.

     

  • History of recordings: Maintain a bank of customer interaction recordings effortlessly. The recordings let you find communication loopholes, improve on quality, and find solid proofing required under any circumstance.

     

  • Cut down operational cost: Replace a traditional (human) receptionist with IVR aka virtual receptionist. The IVR costs you as less as 1/16th of the monthly compensation your receptionist charges from you. Example. Traditional receptionist ~INR 25000 v/s INR ~1500/-.

     

  • Grow as you scale: Don’t let a fluctuating call volume affect your business. An IVR paired with a virtual toll free number makes you attend any call volume without abandoning any customer calls.

When we talk growth, there are certain inevitable attributes which make a business build its foundation, stand strong as a company, and then steadily move towards brand creation.

However, the reality is, these inevitable attributes are not always wallet-friendly.

Thank goodness that with an IVR, the investment costs are relatively lower and the ROI derived is substantially greater.

PS: If you’re a startup looking for IVR solutions, MyOperator for Startups gives free IVR to early-stage startups. To know more, visit MyOperator for Startups and get up and running.

Get IVR solution to boost your business customer support and sales

Make it easy for your customers to find solutions to their queries right on their phones. Set up an IVR system for your business today. It only takes less than 3-minutes!

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions



IVR customer experience refers to the interaction customers have with an Interactive Voice Response system, a technology that allows automated communication with callers. It’s crucial as it shapes the first impression customers have of your business and can greatly impact customer satisfaction.


To enhance your IVR customer experience, focus on creating clear and concise voice prompts, organising menu options logically, and providing self-service solutions for common inquiries. Regularly update your IVR system to reflect current offerings and address customer needs.


You can boost your IVR system’s performance by integrating Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities to understand and respond to more complex customer requests. Additionally, offering personalised options based on customer history and preferences can make the IVR experience more engaging


An improved IVR system can enhance sales by providing callers with quick access to product information, special offers, and promotions. Implementing a Visual IVR, which offers visual menus and options on smartphones, can make the sales process even more engaging and streamlined.


Make sure your IVR system is user-friendly by using simple and jargon-free language in your prompts, limiting the number of menu options, and providing an option to speak to a live agent at any point. User testing and gathering feedback can help refine the system’s usability.


A Visual IVR enhances the IVR experience by displaying visual menus and icons on a caller’s smartphone. This enables callers to navigate options more easily and even select choices by tapping on the screen, making the process faster and more intuitive.


Avoid common pitfalls by not overwhelming callers with excessive menu layers, keeping menu options relevant and up-to-date, and ensuring that callers can always exit the IVR and connect with a live agent if needed. Complex language and unclear prompts should also be avoided.


An enhanced IVR system contributes to customer satisfaction by reducing wait times, providing quicker access to information, and allowing customers to resolve simple inquiries without agent assistance. This convenience and efficiency can leave customers with a more positive perception of your business.


Certainly! You can improve sales using Visual IVR by incorporating clickable product catalogues, visual product demonstrations, and easy-to-follow purchasing options. Providing a seamless transition from visual menus to the purchasing process can encourage customers to make a purchase.


Regular updates are essential to keep your IVR system relevant and aligned with customer expectations. Aim to review and refresh your IVR prompts, options, and self-service capabilities at least every six months, or more frequently if your offerings change often.

About The Author
Richa Agarwal
Richa is content author and marketer at MyOperator. She helps MyOperator improve their lead quality communications. She loves developing conversion-driven content viz. blogs, infographics, mailers, case studies, e-books, along with marketing collateral. You can connect with Richa on Linkedin and Twitter.

10,000+ Businesses Activated
200 Million Calls Enabled
4.5 Google Rating


#1 Ranked in India's Cloud Telephony Leadership Matrix

Try MyOperator for free

#IndiaDialsOnMyOperator